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Farm Bill Draft Session May End Delay, Speed New Policy Into Law

WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said he was cutting short his nine-day trade mission to Asia and returning to Washington amid signs of a breakthrough on a long-delayed farm bill.

The chairman of the House Agriculture Committee scheduled a bill-drafting session Tuesday on a revised farm bill that could end weeks of political deadlock and speed new agricultural policy into law by Feb. 29.

"After months of debate, it appears these efforts are now bearing fruit," Glickman said in a statement from Asia. He planned to return to Washington "after I complete my discussions in Beijing with my Chinese counterparts."

A possible end to the stalemate between the White House and Republican-led Congress comes after Rep. Pat Roberts, Kansas Republican and chairman of the House farm panel, appeared to soften his position.

Roberts told reporters last Thursday he is ready to consider demands by the White House to raise minimum loan rates on crops, boost spending for crop insurance and export promotion programs and add $2 billion to $2.5 billion for rural development.

"I'd just as soon get this thing settled," said Roberts, now a candidate for the U.S. Senate to replace retiring Sen. Nancy Kassebaum. "I have my hands outstretched."